POST THREE It's Been 72 Hours Now - Memorial Day 5-26-14. ADHD, Dreams, Monks, College...

If I don't stop this 'waking up earlier' thing, I'm going to turn in my keyboard and swap it for Dragonware.

It was actually pretty nice to be cut loose from work on a long weekend because the realization is delayed and won't hit until Tuesday morning.

This time I didn't wake up feeling I had to go to work or looking at the clock and having a knee-jerk reaction of Oh, NO! I'm 1 1/2 hours LATE!

I figured out why I haven't written much over time! Have you ever heard of an ADHD writer who also worked full time? I'd like to meet one!!

Again, couldn't sleep last night until around 2-3 am again, lots of weird dreams, this one with motorcycle trips, trains to Del Mar, Julian, the Grand Canyon, HUGE shrimp cocktails, silken robes in the 1st class dining area (I won't call it a dining car, it looked like an old time dining 'salon' from the Gay 90's, 1890's that is, with open seating and special garb, like the silk kimonos), the whole works.

One weird thing I'll mention about the motorcycle trip part of it-Bub and I had to hold up leaving on our bikes until I found my matching leg warmer for my jeans!!! (Never did find it-in my dream, that is.)The weird thing is that I NEVER wore legwarmers while riding...I wore leather chaps with laces. Leather and laces...sounds like a song...

I feel like I should write down my feelings as I FEEL them, 'cause I'll forget! Just like dreams.

Did I mention that my dreams were of COURSE in color??

My legwarmers were aqua blue, some of the train cars were red or Army green, and the margaritas were DEFINITELY yellow.

           An aside here-you know we'd been considering moving to Albuquerque within 3 years or so. That's still goin' on, but I woke up this morning, all I could hear were birds, and that's actually most mornings. Oh sure, on weekdays there are a FEW cars be-bopping up and down (mostly down) the street, and Mondays are Trash Days, and Wednesdays are Street Cleaning Days, but those sounds go by quickly and it's really very quiet here. Will have to definitely think about that.

Okay, so last night I went through applying for FAFSA and registering for college. If you do your own taxes on TurboTax, you could probably winnow through these systems. If you don't even balance your own checkbook, I suggest you hire someone to do this for you or march right down to the Admissions Office and throw yourself on their mercy. If you really want to go back to school, plan to spend a few days in the Admissions Office.

If you haven't been back for a few years or decades, the college systems have new stuff you gotta do.

I want to go back to school, but there are a TON of new rules. If you haven't been back for a few years or decades, the college systems have new stuff you gotta do.

They have college assessments to see if you have what it takes to take college classes.

I never bothered with assessments before, I took college English, reading, my first college major was English, blah blah blah, everybody KNOWS I'm a wordsmith. You don't need an assessment if you've taken these types of classes in the past two years OR have taken them in the past. The college doesn't list a time requirement for taking colleges classes in the past AS LONG AS YOU HAVE TRANSCRIPT DOCUMENTATION TO PROVE IT.

 I'm screwed.

MY documentation from past colleges involves administrative monks writing your course names and grades on papyrus, and Johannes Gutenberg printing you a copy. If they were saved, they were saved as parchment rolls and buried with the School District Superintendent in a pyramid*. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if my transcripts became a palimpsest for some other student! They jest ain't available, Sparky!

*NOW I know why there's a pyramid on the campus of CSULB! THAT'S where my transcripts are! Under the basketball court bleachers! Kinda like me when I was back in college. Ah, memories...)

I gotta rethink this school stuff, but right now I have to get an appointment for an assessment: I have to take a New Student Orientation before the assessment appointment and THAT has to be done before May 30th: I also have to have a Student Education Plan, ALSO before May 30th. In fact, ALL these three things have to be done by then for Priority Registration.

Shit.

I could see J.K. Rowling trying to attend a Community College around here and having to go thru this Writing Assessment crap! OK, she probably wouldn't have to do it if she gave the College a full autographed set of the Harry Potter books. Or endowed them with a Chair in Gryffendor. (Where DOES she find all her ideas and names? Was she part of the CIA 'MKUltra' program?)

I guess I could give this (you should pardon the expression) the ol' college try.

I still crack myself up.

Instead of writing all the things I think about, which let me tell YOU it would've been a helluva lot EASIER than making this pic. I think it came out ok.

Of COURSE, more to come!
Who am I to deprive my reading public?
Or actually TORTURE them?

BTW, NONE of them are toxic.

I need that 'Dragon Naturally Speaking' software, but actually I realized I could use my iPhone and do notes.

Writing this is a lot better than cooking for the holiday.

UPDATE 5-26-14 at 11 pm:

After a great pickinik* din over at Rhoda's, I

1. Ordered one set of college transcripts;
2. Ordered another college set of transcripts;
3. Set up tasks for tomorrow for priority registration for Fullerton College i.e. calling Admissions for an Assessment date, getting an appt for a Student Educational Plan, emailing the webmaster or admissions and finding out whyinthehell I can't access the Student Orientation;
4. Talked to a ex-coworker bud, and most importantly
5. TURNED OFF THE ALARM CLOCK. I say again, I TURNED OFF THE ALARM CLOCK.

*I'm channeling Yogi Bear.